Twelve-year-old Muthulakshmi Swamy, a Class VI student of a school run by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, has won a bronze medal in the at the ongoing national taekwondo competition held in Telangana.
She won the medal in the under-14, 16-18 kg category.
Muthulakshmi, who studies in Class VI of civic school number 4 in CBD Belapur, represented Maharashtra in the nationals, and picked up the medal on Tuesday.
She was selected for the national tournament after she won a gold medal in the same category at the state-level school taekwondo tournament held in Alibaug, Raigad district, last week.
Navi Mumbai Mayor Sudhakar Sonawane expressed happiness over Muthulakshmi’s success. “It is a very proud movement for us as our student, especially a girl student, has bagged bronze. This will surely give other students encouragement to excel in sports as well,” he said.
Mr. Sonawane said the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had been making efforts to provide more intensive sports training in civic schools. As a step in that direction, the civic body will soon introduce physical training teachers even in primary schools.
“We run about 62 schools, of which 17 secondary schools have physical training teachers. We will soon appoint physical training teachers for our primary sections as well,” the Mayor said.
The NMMC has been encouraging students to take up sports. Apart from regular training, it has also been conducting a summer sports camp for underprivileged students for the past six years.
Congratulating Muthulakshmi, NMMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Ankush Chavan said, “Muthulakshmi has a very good potential and will be given additional training to compete internationally.”
